1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a video camera which includes a video recorder (VCR). More particularly, the invention relates to such a camera which is portable and includes circuitry to receive and to mix at least two audio inputs, one of which may be from a microphone arrangement responsive to sound from the subject or subjects being recorded.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A hand-held video camera having an image sensor, such as a charge coupled device (CCD), and an integral VCR is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,530,015 granted July 16, 1985 to Seiichi Yanagida et al. and entitled "Camera with Integral Magnetic Recorder," an optical system, a VTR section and a hand-grip being supported on three substantially perpendicular integral support members. No circuitry is provided for recording any audio or audible signals.
A hand-held video recording camera having an image pickup and a microphone for picking up audible sounds from a subject or subjects being recorded is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,511,932 entitled "Video Recording Camera" and granted on Apr. 16, 1985 to Tatsuzo Ushiro. No circuitry is provided for recording audio or audible signals from any source other than a single microphone.
A hand-held video recording camera which includes a demountable video tape recorder (VTR), as well as a microphone for picking up audible sounds from a subject or subjects being recorded is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,547,815 entitled "Detachably Connected Video Camera Video Recorder" granted on Oct. 15, 1985 to Takashi Kimura. Control buttons are provided on the main body of the camera for selecting the operational mode thereof. No provision is made for receiving any audio or audible signals from any source other than the single microphone.
A hand-held video recording camera which may be provided with two microphones is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,550,343 entitled "Video Camera Apparatus" granted to Nobuyuki Nakatani on Oct. 29, 1985, the two microphones being provided to allow the audible sounds from a subject or subjects to be received and recorded in stereo, one of the microphones being a left (L) channel microphone while the other is a right (R) channel microphone. No circuitry is provided for recording any audio or audible signals from a source other than the subject or subjects.
Commercially available, hand-held video recording cameras are known. One of these, available from Zenith Electronics Corporation, whose address is 1000 Milwaukee Avenue, Glenview, Ill. 60025, under the designation Model VM7100, includes a stereophonic high fidelity audio recording and playback, using rotary audio heads, a high fidelity stereo microphone arrangement being carried on the camera proper. A service manual is available from the Zenith Video Tech Corporation, a subsidiary of the Zenith Electronics, under the designation 5M-CPC 923-2240 relating to the commercially available camera, the manual being incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. External jacks are provided to receive audio and/or video inputs from conventional prerecorded VHS high fidelity stereo cassettes, tuners and television sets. No circuitry is provided to effect mixing of audio from any internal (on-board) audio source with the signals received from the microphone arrangement nor for outputting audible or audio signals from any internal (on-board) audio source to the subject or subjects being recorded.